Music: {allcanada} RED WINGS (10-4-5) at MAPLE LEAFS (10-8-2)

Friday, November 21, 2014

{allcanada} RED WINGS (10-4-5) at MAPLE LEAFS (10-8-2)

1989 - Taylor Swift / Nick & Knight - Nick Carter & Jordan Knight

Saturday, November 22, 2014

7:00 PM ET

RED WINGS (10-4-5) at MAPLE LEAFS (10-8-2)

TV: CBC, FS-D

Season series: Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg led the way in the first two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which were played as a rare home-and-home set on back-to-back days. After pacing Detroit with four assists in a 4-1 win at Air Canada Centre, Zetterberg scored the game-winning goal at Joe Louis Arena with 10 seconds left in overtime of the second game. The Red Wings are 5-0-1 against the Maple Leafs since moving into the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference last season.

Red Wings team scope: Forward Tomas Tatar is red-hot. He has four goals and an assist in a four-game point streak and has scored the game-winning goal in two straight, including a 4-3 victory Thursday at the Winnipeg Jets. Jimmy Howard will get back in the net against Toronto, but backup Petr Mrazek impressed coach Mike Babcock by holding the Red Wings close Thursday in a game where they started slow. Detroit played without center Pavel Datsyuk (groin), who will also miss the game against the Maple Leafs. The Red Wings also have rookie defenseman Xavier Ouellette up from Grand Rapids while defenseman Brendan Smith (infected hand) is sidelined. Detroit, which opted not to practice Friday, has won three of its past four games and has earned at least a point in six of its previous seven.

Maple Leafs team scope: A 5-2 home victory Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning snapped a three-game losing skid and dimmed some of the negative spotlight on the Maple Leafs. They'd been outscored by a combined 15-4 margin in their previous two defeats and the level of criticism was high. A day after the big win, right wing Phil Kessel fell in practice Friday and left early after developing neck stiffness. Coach Randy Carlyle doesn't expect Kessel to miss the game Saturday. Forward Joffrey Lupul (hand) will not face the Red Wings, but his return is "imminent," according to Carlyle. Forward Brandon Kozun (ankle) is practicing but won't face Detroit, while forward David Booth (foot) was loaned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League for a conditioning stint. Defenseman Cody Franson assisted on a goal Thursday to extend his point streak to nine games (two goals and nine assists). Carlyle did not reveal his goaltending choice.

Team Stats